Those Summer Nights
Two updates in two days? I must be delirious in the sunshine.
Just catching up with videos from the playground, though. If I can remember which ones I have posted and which I haven’t. Let’s see.
youtube.com/watch?v=MkddgK4Yszs. This is when I helped get the goats out of the fold. Going along with Mio on a leash.
youtube.com/watch?v=hTkH20__WWQ. This is _before_ we took them out. Bob and Kamel dogfighting. I mean, goatfighting. I think Bob is starting to challenge Kamel, because they’re the two at the bottom of the hierarchy. Bob is youngest and smallest. Kamel is new and probably weakest of the adult girls. So the fight for position is on. Meanwhile, I also think that Kamel has figured out that she’s safer when she sticks close to the buck. Because Magnethe and Mio keep their distance to the buck most of the time. They can’t boss him around. So if Kamel stays close to the buck then she gets bossed around less too. The internal politics are fascinating.
youtube.com/watch?v=VcR_Xo2CRmU. The sun really kicked in. When I got to the playground on this day, the goats where outside on the grounds. Terrorizing vegetation and feeding canisters. Kamel got left behind when the others moved on, you can hear her complaining about that. Then Pia came and we got the goats up to the slope up to Bispehaven, the residential blocks above. I’m still not sure it’s Pia. My visual memory and all. And I feel too self conscious to ask “hey what was your name again?”. Especially since I would probably forget it again quickly. It is somewhat embarrassing to have to stare at people’s faces to try and connect names. But anyway, we got the goats away from the road and up to the slope. Pia told me that in the future if I were going to take the goats out then I should probably come and tell them first. She thought I had let them out. Ten minutes later she came and apologised. She had checked the goat fold and it seems the gate was rotting. So the goats had escaped on their own. You can’t keep a good goat in. But it was absolutely beautiful weather and a lovely time. I went and got a bucket of water for the goats and they slurped most of it up so I had to go refill it. Lots of yummy green grass and cold water and sunshine. Perfect.
I also managed to pocket dial my mother. Suddenly I heard voices from my pants pocket. I guess I had accidentally phoned my mother and she had called back. Either that or I blacked out in the sunshine.
youtube.com/watch?v=WRf3CyyTcs4. And that’s from Thursday. It was a little less warm and the goats were tied down seperately so it was less fun for me. I like when I can sit down and have them all in scratching distance. In the video you can see a family who sat down to eat some lunch after playing around in the sunshine. And both Bob and the buck felt that they had to crash the party. The family was not too happy sharing their food with the goats, though. What an odd way to behave! If I ever have a picnic I’ll make sure to invite the goats.
So, I think that’s caught up with the videos.
I have had a nice weekend. Brilliant weather. Upwards of the 25C probably. I have done good exercise. Two days of making a whole hour on the bike. I’m still trying to build it up more, now that summer is here. But it feels good. I put on the heat in my apartment for a couple of hours and along with the sunshine it gets really hot. And then I get on the bike and the sweat just starts pouring. I really feel like I accomplish something. I wrote on Facebook that my plans for the summer were 5 days of exercise and 2 days of goats per week. Maybe that was a bit ambitious. After two days of hourlong biking sessions my legs are somewhat wobbly. I might have to put in a resting day every now and then. But I am determined to put in great efforts on the bike. Last summer was ruined by injuries and computer troubles. This year I will make the most of the heat. And I do need it too. I don’t think I have mentioned it, but I sort of slipped up during christmas. I got myself christmas treats. With exercise and medication I can handle that visavis my blood sugar. But it’s not good, I know. And I fell into a bad habit of too many treats. It became the norm insted of special occasions. I have put on a fair bit of weight I think. But that’s over now. Back to healthy living and a substantial increase in exercise. I’m never going to be the athletic type, but I’m making an effort. At least I deserve credit for that, I think.
So that’s where we are now. Unfortunately the weather forecast says that temperatures will drop again next week. It might go down below 15 again. That’s almost unbearable to think of. I have gotten addicted to the heat. I hope it will return soon. Fingers crossed.
May 30th, 2012 at 15:42
Nothing like watching goatzies eating up the green, green grass. Our boys act like they haven’t eaten in days when we let them out into the yard! Goofy goats.
It had been really warm here. We turned on the room air conditioners for awhile. Then last night it cooled off and we just had a fan on. It’s much nicer today. I think we even have a chance of rain after midnight. All the crops could use a nice gentle rain.
Everyone was out basking in the sun this morning lined up against the fence. Snickers grazes for awhile then rolls in the dirt. Silly donkey!
June 3rd, 2012 at 23:33
Debster – I get positively hungry when I see the goats mowing the lawn. I wonder what grass tastes like…
it’s been cold here. I was so loving the heat. I hope it comes back soon. You should not wake up from coldness in the morning in June!